Stability Improvement for Ammunition Reloading Process

ABSTRACT

A new use of foam or other material that possesses shock-absorption characteristics to add to, or replace, the conventional plastic or wooden physical structure of the tray commonly used for ammunition reloading, thus significantly improving the stability of cartridge case handling during and between the various stages of reloading. The invention enhances the stability of ammunition cases during the reloading process to reduce accidental powder spill.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

REFERENCES CITED

U.S. Pat. No. documents 5,052,549 October 1991 Scharch 301,003 June 1884 R. Poole 207,853 September 1878 R. H. Dalzell 506,425 October 1893 J. A. R. Elliott 4,827,827 May 1989 Sanfilippo 3,593,873 July 1971 Vonk 4,942,991 July 1990 Lyons 7,308,981 December 2007 Noel Du Payrat, et al. 3,153,500 October 1964 F. A. Pachmayr, et al. 4,811,836 March 1989 Minneman 2,389,285 November 1945 R. W. Vergobbi 274,789 July 1984 Brown et al. 274,885 July 1984 Joice et al. 869,310 October 1907 H. R. Lemly 4,257,520 March 1981 Hohmann, et al. 9,810,514 November 2017 Hofer, et al. 9,267,776 February 2016 McClaughry, et al. 2,750,028 June 1956 R. H. Bode, et al. 3,589,511 June 1971 Britt 9,038,817 May 2015 Connolly, et al. 8,959,822 February 2015 Kleppe 6,779,654 August 2004 Marquis 5,360,109 November 1994 Janota 6,216,885 April 2001 Guillaume 9,751,683 September 2017 Jobe D592,996 May 2009 Howard, et al. 7,448,182 November 2008 Pearson 1,546,391 July 1925 McCullough 4,733,773 March 1988 LaBianca 4,566,588 January 1986 Kataczynski 7,422,102 September 2008 Lam, et al.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention pertains to the shooting sports, specifically the manual process of smokeless or black powder cartridge ammunition reloading.

Target shooters and hunters frequently choose to reload their fired ammunition cases, rather than simply purchase new loaded ammunition, in order to save money or improve accuracy.

In its most basic form, manual reloading requires equipment and supplies, generally including the following:

-   -   i. Single stage reloading press     -   ii. Caliber-specific reloading dies and shell holder     -   iii. Powder scale     -   iv. Powder measuring scoops     -   v. funnel     -   vi. Reloading trays     -   vii. Primer seating tool     -   viii. Bullets     -   ix. Brass cases     -   x. Primers     -   xi. Powder

Reloading can also be automated to an extent by using more complex multi-stage presses, powder dispensers, and other time-saving tools for those shooters who are in need of larger volumes of ammunition or who prefer to spend less time reloading. The process of reloading with a single stage press requires multiple specific steps, including:

-   -   i. Removal of spent primer cap from casing     -   ii. Resizing of casing     -   iii. Installation of new primer cap in casing     -   iv. Charging of casing with gun powder     -   v. Seating of new bullet projectile in casing         All of these steps may make use of an ammunition reloading tray,         and steps iv. And v. in particular require the use of a         multi-hole tray which contains cases in a uniform manner to help         prevent inconsistent powder charges and improve cartridge         inspection and sorting during the loading process.

Established safety and consistency protocol for single stage manual reloading calls for performing a single step (e.g. inserting new primer caps into the empty brass casings) as a batch (e.g. for 50 cases) before moving to the next step. The reloading tray proves useful during each step to contain the cases as a batch as they are moved between steps, or stations, of the process.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Statement of the Problem and Purpose of the Invention

Ammunition trays are conventionally made of plastic or wood and contain up to 50 holes that are sized to accommodate one or more diameters of cases. The interior of the receptacle holes, made of hard plastic or wood, must be of a slightly larger diameter than the case diameter. The oversize holes allow the case to freely move in multiple directions as a result of any physical impact to the tray from handling. Because gun powder consists of small, lightweight kernels, even a small impact or movement to the tray can cause overspill of powder from the cases, resulting in an inconsistent powder charge and the need to repeat the powder weighing and charging process to ensure both safety and loading consistency of the cartridges.

This invention enhances the stability of ammunition cases during the reloading process in a new way to reduce accidental powder spill, thereby improving powder charge consistency and reducing re-measure time.

The physical movement of the reloading tray between stations, as well as the manual placement of cases into and out of the tray for processing, are the activities this invention is designed to improve. The invention proposes a new use of foam or a similar material that possesses shock-absorption characteristics to add to, or replace, the conventional plastic or wooden physical structure of the reloading tray, thus significantly improving the stability of cartridge case handling during and between the various stages of reloading.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the improved reloading tray. The components consist of a Foam Insert to enclose the cases, a Support Tray for the Foam Insert, and a Primary Tray to contain the Support Tray and Foam Insert as a single finished product.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the finished product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The core of the invention consists of a single block of packaging foam as shown in FIG. 1 (Foam Insert) or other material having substantially similar shock absorption qualities. Multiple types of foam can be used, as can other materials. The material utilized must be formable into a single block with molded or cut holes. The preferred embodiment would include an exterior shell made of metal, rigid enough to contain the absorption material, which would either be affixed permanently to the outer shell or be press fit for easy removability. The array of holes can either have a rigid base affixed to its bottom plane or use the outer shell as a base. Case containment holes have a minimum of two opposing contact points with a shell case and have a vertical width of at least a quarter of an inch. Preferred embodiments of the container would have triangular, square, or round holes with a vertical thickness of at least ¼ of the length of the shell case.

The exterior dimensions of the foam will vary depending on the caliber of cartridge to be reloaded and the preference of the user with respect to the amount of space desired between each case within the block. As shown in FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment would use a block of foam 10.5 inches long, 5.5 inches wide, and 1.75 inches deep. This block would be suitable for reloading any typical full-size rifle cartridge such as 30-06 Springfield.

Within the block are holes parallel to and protruding through the entire height of the foam. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the holes are square with 0.5 inch sides. Other embodiments could include triangular or other hole shapes, with the objective of providing at least 2 points of contact with the case.

Affixed to the bottom plane of the block is a base (Support Tray) of the same length and width, and constructed of thin metal, non-compressible cardboard, or other rigid or semi-rigid material that serves to contain the cases within the Foam Insert at a uniform height. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 uses a piece of thin sheet metal as the Support Tray that can be glued to the bottom of the Foam Insert if desired.

The preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates the use of an outer shell (Primary Tray) made of metal or other rigid material and having sufficient weight and mass to further absorb and spread out the effect of vibrations caused by minor impacts during handling.

The mass and rigidity of the Primary and Support Trays promote easy insertion and removal of individual cases from the assembled reloading tray without significantly affecting the stability of other cases.

Prior Art

The Scharch patent essentially describes the currently manufactured injection-molded plastic reloading trays commonly used today. The tray is lightweight, fixed in size, and by definition the cylindrical holes which receive the cases are of a larger diameter than the case itself, thus promoting spillage as described previously.

The Poole patent discloses a device that effectuates a simultaneous controlled powder charge delivery for multiple cases using a base-board with movable slats to hold cases in position. The device holds cases rigidly in place using an array of scallops cut into the slats that tighten against the cases using thumbscrew bolts, similar to a carpenter's wood clamp. The patent does not claim or possess any characteristic designed to prevent impact-induced spillage during the loading process. Additionally, by fixing the cartridges rigidly in place during use, there is no shock absorption characteristic other than from the combined mass of the unit filled with cases. Unintended impact to any part of the device would result in substantially the same risk of spillage as using the modern plastic trays that permit excess, multi-directional case movement.

Similar to the Poole patent, the Dalzell, Elliott, and Sanfilippo patents describe loading devices designed for speed and simultaneous charging of multiple cases. Construction consists generally of an enclosed box with multiple holes mated with a top plate containing beveled holes which act as a series of funnels, allowing gun powder to be poured into all cases simultaneously. The present invention has no claim involving achieving a specific charge weight across cases or filling of multiple cases in a shorter amount of time than with other methods. On the contrary, the present invention is specifically intended for slow and methodical hand loading and promotes the consistent handling of individual cases in between and during the various discrete stages of the manual reloading process. It is notable that for the devices patented by Poole, Dalzell, Elliott, and Sanfilippo, once the group of cases is charged with powder, the devices must be opened, unhinged, or otherwise disconnected, all of which require movement of the device or its components and therefore actually substantially increase the likelihood of handling error and unintended powder spillage while removing the cases.

The Vonk patent discloses a container for elongated articles such as cartridges, ampullae and bottles using a box with a detachable partition carrier. Claim number 3 of this patent describes a “shock absorbing lining” for the top portion of a container cover to further protect the contents. The liner is intended to add support to the container contents and further protect them from transportation or storage activities. The shock absorption qualities of foam and other resilient materials is well known in the packaging industry and is not the subject of claims in the present invention.

The Lyons, Noel Du Payrat, Pachmayr, Minneman, Vergobbi, Brown, Joice, Lemly, Hohmann, Hofer, McClaughry, Bode, Britt, and Connolly patents disclose boxes or carriers for finished ammunition cartridges as well as for other items which make use of partitions to separate and protect the contents. However, these packaging containers are designed to separate and protect finished products from damage during shipping, hunting, or bulk storage and are not intended to provide raw material component stability during a process of manufacture.

Patents issued to Kleppe, Marquis, Janota, Guillaume, Jobe, Howard, Pearson, McCullough, LaBianca, Kataczynski, and Lam are only of passing interest. 

1. The use of a foam block with multiple holes for the purpose of containing and stabilizing one or more cartridge cases while handling during and between the stages of the reloading process for small arms ammunition. The use of individual foam pieces for the purpose of containing and stabilizing one or more cartridge cases while handling during and between the stages of the reloading process for small arms ammunition. The use of shock absorbing material other than foam, including soft cloth material, wire or synthetic filaments, for the purpose of containing and stabilizing one or more cartridge cases while handling during and between the stages of the reloading process for small arms ammunition. The use of metal, wood, rubber, or other synthetic material for a purpose of imparting a shock absorption property or feature to a reloading tray that is manufactured for commercial sale and is intended for use as a reloading tool for small arms ammunition. The manufacture or sale of a foam block with multiple holes for the purpose of containing and stabilizing one or more cartridge cases while handling during and between the stages of the reloading process for small arms ammunition. The manufacture or sale of individual foam pieces for the purpose of containing and stabilizing one or more cartridge cases while handling during and between the stages of the reloading process for small arms ammunition. The manufacture or sale of shock absorbing material other than foam, including soft cloth material, wire or synthetic filaments, for the purpose of containing and stabilizing one or more cartridge cases while handling during and between the stages of the reloading process for small arms ammunition. The manufacture or sale of metal, wood, rubber, or other synthetic material for a purpose of imparting a shock absorption property or feature to a reloading tray that is manufactured for commercial sale and is intended for use as a reloading tool for small arms ammunition. 